It's really a good idea to think about the lighting in your home, not just the aesthetics but also about the practical side of effective lighting. It affects us especially in the fall, winter and spring months.

When you do work, such as cooking or paperwork, you need proper lighting, so that you do not get shadows or glare.

Good lighting is especially important in the kitchen, the heart of your home. Under cabinet lighting, stove lights, overall light, accent light and even different zoning for lights need to be thought out and planned. For example; looking at your work counter top (not your island top) that is tucked beneath overhead cabinets and has brighter under lights than general lighting will produce fewer shadows.

Island lighting should have shades so that a light bulb does not glare into your eyes. Tip: be careful of pot lights, they usually produce shadows on your face so they may give you a less than attractive appearance!

So overall when you have different layers of light the total lighting works really well. You can use as a guideline; ceiling light, mid section light (island lights or in other places, wall sconces or floor light)and lower section lights; under cabinet lighting or table lamps. You can always add pot lights to showcase (enhance) wall texture, art or other light fixture etc..

Today LED is the way to go. They last a long time, but you have to be very knowledgeable about which you choose. The LED bulb and fixture development are very rapid; and new, better and more beautiful solutions come to the market all the time.